


One Step Too Far

by Meowser_Clancy



Category: The Client List (TV)
Genre: AU, Cheating, F/M, affair
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-18 05:28:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7301317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meowser_Clancy/pseuds/Meowser_Clancy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because it wasn't supposed to be like this. Riley and Evan were married and supposed to be in love but she can't help feel like something's missing. Something that most definitely isn't missing when she looks at his brother...Kyle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ghostwhispererfangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostwhispererfangirl/gifts).



The house was quiet, and the windows in the spacious kitchen were wide open to let the Texas breeze in.

Riley brought two glasses of iced tea over to the table and handed one to Lacey.

"Is that Kyle out there?" Lacey asked, taking a sip.

"Yeah, he's between jobs right now and Evan needed some yard work done," Riley said, shrugging.

Lacey glanced out the window at the man pruning flowers. "Isn't he always between jobs?"

Riley shrugged. "With Kyle, it's hard to tell."

Lacey sighed, looking at how Kyle was bent over the potted plants. "Your brother-in-law is hot, Riley Parks, and there is no denyin' it. If I wasn't so utterly devoted to my Dale, you know that he'd be gettin' some of my action."

"A fact I'm sure Kyle regrets," Riley laughed.

"He does," Lacey said, feigning preening in the reflection on her glass. "So. Haven't seen Evan in a while."

"He's busy," Riley said. "He just got promoted, you know."

"I know, climbin' the corporate ladder," Lacey said. "Never thought he'd be that kind of guy."

"Yeah, me neither," Riley said. "But you know him. Pullin' himself up by his own bootstrap, with no help from anyone." She frowned a little. "Or hindrance."

"I'm perfectly happy with my unambitious Dale," Lacey said happily. "He owns his own truck and he's perfectly happy just cruisin' the open roads. And I do mean happy."

"I wish I could say the same for Evan," Riley laughed. "I would never say that his job makes him happy. I wish he'd stayed in construction, because at least then there was this satisfaction when the job was done; a few moments of calm while he looked for the next. But now there's always another project. Always another way to impress the boss. And that means longer hours, stayin' late, missing good times out with friends."

"I'm surprised you guys don't have kids yet," Lacey said. "Seems like the perfect solution for both of you. You'd never be lonely then."

Riley raised an eyebrow, sipping at her tea. "We aren't ready," she said, emphasizing the words. "My god, I have never seen a man with a condom. Like, you know I won't take the Pill. Just no, and Evan is okay with that. But what that means in practice is him carryin' around buckets of condoms! I'm serious, we went on a camping trip last summer and he must have packed fifty for a week's stay!"

"But did you use them all?" Lacey asked slyly.

"Beside the point," Riley said. "You know what kills the mood more than anything when you're in the wilderness with absolutely nothing around and no one to interrupt? Evan saying that he left the condoms back at the campsite so we have to hike half a mile before we can finish the deed. And I'm not saying that his boner didn't last, but my buzz certainly didn't."

"Oh, Riley, seriously?" Lacey giggled.

"It was awful," she said. "I'm serious, okay? We're married. We have been for five years, four then. He's makin' money, I'm makin' money. Yeah, we're young but there's no reason to not have kids yet. And I'm not sayin' that I'm desperate for kids but just once…" She bit her lip.

"Is all it takes?" Lacey asked gently.

"Yeah, but sometimes just once doesn't take," Riley said softly. "Sometimes it hurts. He's so worried about being prepared and ready that I don't think he ever will be. Like, what would be so bad about me gettin' pregnant right now? But I swear, if I did, he would think that I'd done it on purpose. It would be my fault."

"Takes two to tango," Lacey said.

"But only gets pregnant," Riley sighed. "I shouldn't complain. He's so good to me and buys me whatever I want. I've got this big house and lovin' friends and family. And I mean it, it's not just about the kids. It's that he's afraid to take risks with me." She bit her lip. "His wife. I just can't help but wonder what that says about our relationship."

"Yeah, but then you have Kyle," Lacey said, thumbing out the window. "Who'd never put a condom on unless you did it for him and it was foreplay."

"There is somethin' to be said for gettin' lost in the moment," Riley protested. "To lettin' nature take its course. Sex equals babies. And Evan seems to have forbade any possibility of that happenin'." She glanced out the window at Kyle. "And he hasn't gotten a girl knocked up yet." Riley turned back to Lacey. "It's just happened, Lacey, where Evan didn't have a condom so we just stopped cold turkey. Like, he didn't finish and I didn't finish. No oral either, because it was in a car and he was all, there's not enough room."

"Okay, that's extreme," Lacey said. "At least Kyle wouldn't leave a girl hangin'. Or, at least, just bein' with him could get me off. Look at that ass, Riley. Just look at it."

Riley rolled her eyes. "Lace, stop oglin' my brother-in-law. Besides, he doesn't even like me."

* * *

Outside Kyle was pruning flowers and wondering if they knew he could hear every word they said. Some of the things didn't surprise him; some made him grin and flex a little more because it was fun to get Lacey all hot and bothered.

And some of them stopped him dead in his tracks, wondering how anyone, least of all his brother, would be able to stop cold turkey when gettin' it on with someone like Riley Parks.

He got bein' careful. Hell, he probably wasn't careful enough.

But didn't Evan had eyes? Sometimes Kyle, realizing how long he'd just been lookin' at Riley, and how intently, pondered that if guys could get women pregnant just by lookin', well, she'd be the mother of twins many times over.

How could anyone stop in the heat of the moment? If Kyle ever got Riley alone...perish the thought, she and Evan were happily married, or so he'd thought…

He wiped sweat from his brow, feeling himself get a little hard at the thought. Riley and him, alone in a room. The night would be dark. Evan would be out of town on a business trip or somethin'.

And they'd just be alone, staring at each other. Riley's big, brown eyes would just look at him, and she'd start to leave the room, sayin' something about getting ready for bed.

Kyle went deeper into the fantasy, one that he'd had many times before on late nights spent with his younger brother and his wife.

Kyle would agree, and they'd both start to leave the room but their shoulders would brush. And the fire he'd always felt for her would ignite, and he could just imagine how she'd feel against him; how unimaginably good it would be to press against her, bending over her tiny frame.

She was short, he reflected, but that only made it hotter. He adored the way she only came up to his shoulder. Besides, nothin' else about her was tiny.

He swallowed, feeling even hotter in the sun. Her breasts certainly weren't, a fact he was well acquainted with from nights imagining how she'd look topless. Her waist was, but god, it turned into hips...hips and an ass that he could get lost in. He could only imagine feeling her there, cupping her ass...if he was the one married to her, he'd never be able to stop grabbing her ass just because he could. Letting her know how much he loved her body, how much he'd be willing to pleasure her...right here, right now, hang condoms.

And then something she said stopped him right in his tracks.

"Besides, he doesn't even like me."

He froze at hearing her words, wondering if she truly thought that.

"I've been married to his brother for five years and not once has he even hugged me when he comes over for family dinners or holidays or whatever," Riley said. "And he's always just starin' at me, like he sees every move I make and doesn't approve of any of them."

"He is a bit intense," Lacey agreed, and he could hear chairs being pushed back, quickly bending over the potted plant a bit longer, pondering a few other things they'd said as they were now out of earshot.

He was between jobs, true, but he was havin' a difficult time retaining one. There was that construction site where he'd punched his boss's daylights out after catching him with a fifteen year old girl. He'd lost that job right quick. And there was that coaching job at the high school he'd turned down because the whole damn thing was corrupt. He wasn't going to work somewhere he'd have to let the boys' grades slide and not say a thing.

This town was obsessed with football.

And Kyle had used to be just as obsessed, until he tore his knee up his first game in the pros.

He sighed, knowing that football had gone sour for him after that. He didn't want to coach anyway. It'd be too hard watching these boys go out and play a game he couldn't enjoy more. And, as someone who'd worked his ass off in high school to not lose his place on the team, he hated that players these days could let their grades slide and stay on the team.

So was he always in between jobs? Yeah, and that's how he intended to stay, if other options meant answering to corrupt men with their fingers stirring too many pots.

Or if it meant not being available to Evan for yard work whenever.

He frowned again, hearing the door open behind him and Riley let Lacey out.

He couldn't help turning to watch, only getting harder from how good Riley looked in that dress.

God, did she know how outright edible she looked right now? From the strappy, lowcut neckline, which seemed to promise to come sliding down with one touch at the strings that served as straps, to the nipped waist and flowing skirt that stopped right before her knees…

Kyle would think she looked amazing in anything, to be honest. Which was one of the reasons why he didn't hug her. He didn't dare.

And why he stared...no one could resist staring at her. The woman was a goddess.

He pulled at his shirt neckline and then shrugged it over his head, not giving it a second thought even with Riley standing there.

It took him longer than it should have to realize that Riley was still standing there on the stoop.

He slowly straightened to standing, muscles rippling, straightening out a kink in his back and turning to look at her. Just look at her, as she was looking at him.

There was only six feet between them but Kyle felt like it was an ocean. Her eyes were greedy, roaming over every exposed inch of skin, down to the jeans barely clinging onto his hips. He had never felt so alive. He had never noticed her looking before.

He walked forward, pulled to her, done with his job.

"I'm done," he said simply, t shirt in hand.

Her eyes were on his chest and Kyle wouldn't be a man without feeling smug at that fact, or getting a little hard.

She was his brother's wife but hell, she had eyes, didn't she?

People typically called Evan the better looking Parks brother but there were some things that his brother didn't have.

Kyle was terribly self conscious of every single one.

"Evan said he could give me cash," Kyle said, not wanting to break the moment but knowing he should.

Riley nodded, jerking her gaze away from him, face flushed.

"Um, let me get my purse," she said, voice soft, like she was finding it hard to speak. Like her mouth was dry.

Kyle's mouth was dry and got steadily more dry watching her move, hips swinging, to where her purse was hung up, reaching on her tiptoes to get it down.

It was instinct. He moved forward and took it with ease for her, feeling every inch of his 6'2" height when looking down at her. He had to have a foot on her.

She took it from him, ducking her chin a little as she unzipped it.

They were standing so close.

Kyle couldn't make himself step away. She smelled like flowers, like a spring day and he inhaled her scent, wondering how it would taste on her skin.

"How...how much did he say?" She asked, tilting her head up to look at him. She was nervous.

He sighed, stepping back a little. He'd never intended to intimidate her.

"$40 for the lawn and for takin' care of the plants," he said.

"Okay," she said, hands shaking a little as she held the money out.

Kyle reached his hand underneath hers, stabilizing it, before taking the money with his other hand. He didn't miss her inhale as he did so, as their hands touched, and he didn't miss how her skin burned into his, yet he couldn't pull away; it took everything he had to turn and walk out of the house, sliding his shirt over his head.

She was his brother's wife.

But that wasn't how it should be.


	2. Chapter 2

Riley moved from the bedroom, restless that night.

It was almost ten and Evan wasn't home yet. She spent too many nights like this, waiting for him. Waiting until he walked up the stairs, dressed in a too expensive suit, smelling of cologne that she didn't like.

He wasn't the man she'd married. He wasn't sweet, down to earth Evan anymore. And yet he was. Everything he was now he'd had the beginnings of when she'd said yes, she'd marry him. Ambition. A big heart. A love for her that he swore wasn't diminished.

Yet things were different.

Maybe it was Riley who was different. She'd always planned on being a simple Texas mother, with a few kids to take to soccer practice. She'd planned on having an open, if not large, home, and a few close friends to go out for beers with.

Instead she got this life. No children, a big, very empty house and dozens of friends that she couldn't count on for anything. Friends. She laughed to even call Taylor Berkhalter her friend, but her husband Buck was big in the business and Evan had insisted that she finally make nice.

As if that could erase high school.

As if he didn't know that Dale and Lacey were better friends and truer than any of this blue blooded circle that Evan and Riley didn't really belong in could ever be.

But he didn't care. He had a mission.

He was going to be a millionaire before thirty. An age that he was steadily approaching; a bank account balance that he wasn't quite as assured that he'd meet.

And make partner. He wanted to make partner.

As if old Mr. George would gift that to anyone but his lazy son.

Evan was working for nothing. And even if $700,000 wasn't a million, it was a hell of a nest egg to start a family on.

She heard his car pull in and sat on the steps, feeling a bit lonely, even knowing that he was going to walk through the front door at any moment, bound up the stairs, take her to bed, most likely.

Hopefully. A different image popped into her mind: a dark gaze, dangerous eyes. Rippling arms and running steps. Being swept into someone's arms. "I'm taking you to bed, Riley Parks." She breathed out, wishing that Evan would act like that. Wishing that it was Evan she wanted and was thinking of right now. But it wasn't.

She swallowed a little, trying to be eager for Evan's entrance through the door. But her mind kept wandering, back to the man who'd done her lawn that day, shirtless for the whole thing, sultry and sweating the whole while.

No. No. She had to think about Evan.

He'd been tired lately. Something that she couldn't understand. She'd thought it was the wives who were always saying no in most marriages.

The front door opened and he entered, looking tall and handsome, closing and locking the door carefully behind him.

He looked up and Riley was there, curled on the top step. "Hey," she said, soft voice carrying in the quiet night.

"Why'd you wait up?" He questioned, coming up the stairs with slow steps.

"I missed you," she said simply, carefully getting to her feet.

He didn't even look at her new nightgown. "I missed you too, but on late nights like this, you should get some rest."

"Rest for what?" She asked, curling her arms around his neck as he passed, forcing him to pause. "For you when you get home?"

She pressed her lips against his, tasting mint and whiskey. Mr. George had been inviting him to his office again. She hated those meetings, when old man George pretended to Evan that he'd actually make him partner and Evan was fool enough to believe him.

Evan's arms curled around her waist, kissing her back, not opening his mouth to her. "Hey, babe," he said, pulling back and slipping away from her, pressing a kiss to her fingers. "I love you and you know that."

"So come on," she whispered. "I've been thinking. What's the point of bein' a millionaire before thirty if you aren't gonna be a daddy too?"

She rubbed her hands on his neck. "Baby, I've got some savings too," she said. "It won't even make a dent in your fund. I'll pay all the doctor bills. You won't lose anything."

"We aren't ready," Evan whispered, voice tender, walking up the rest of the stairs and going to the bedroom. "I can't be a dad yet. I just can't, Riley."

"You'll get ready, you've got nine months to get used to the idea once it happens," she pleaded. "It'll be so good, Evan. You and me havin' a baby. What's better than that?"

"I don't want to talk about it tonight," Evan said tiredly, scraping a hand over his face. "Okay? I'm going to take a shower and then maybe…" He smiled at her. "Maybe we can have some fun."

"Okay," she said softly.

He nodded, slipping away to the bathroom.

She climbed into bed, waiting up for him, finding a pose that would work for her and her current nightgown. It was sheer white lace, showing off everything and hiding nothing, emphasizing her hips and breasts.

He'd never professed to love her for her body but she knew it had to be part of it. As if perhaps one of the reasons he didn't want her pregnant was because he'd lose his perfectly shaped wife to show off at holiday parties. Because she'd have a bump, and maybe not lose the weight as quickly as he'd hope.

But she would. If he wanted her to. Of course she would.

Evan returned, dressed in pajama bottoms. "You look overdressed," she purred, moving to touch his arm.

He looked at her with confusion in his gaze. "Oh!" He smiled at her, moving in to press a kiss to her lips. "We're so good together," he murmured, reaching for a little foil packet in his bedside table. "Just you and me. Why would you want to change that?"

"I just wanted more of you," Riley whispered, gasping as his hands fell lower.

"You'll get more of me," he promised, and did as he'd said.

Long after they'd finished and Evan was asleep, Riley slipped from the bed, looking at her body in the mirror.

Flat stomach. Toned abs. At one time she would have said she'd never want to give those things up. And even now it wasn't really the thought of a child that gave her joy; holding a baby in her arms still wasn't what was really driving her right now.

It was seeing if Evan really loved her. If he would actually fight for her, prove his supposed devotion. To deny them any chance at being more,

* * *

Kyle was sleeping in, or planning on it, when Evan called. "Kyle! I need a favor."

"What's that, little brother?" Kyle asked, blinking awake.

"My car won't start so I have to take Riley's," Evan said. "But she also has to work today so I was wondering if you'd swing by and take her? Just if you have time. I can ask someone else but you're the closest and easiest."

"Um, sure," Kyle said. "When does she need to be there?"

"Nine," Evan said, and Kyle could tell that Evan had started walking.

"What time is it now?" Kyle asked.

"Just past 7:45," Evan said. "Damn it. I am so late. Thanks, Kyle." He hung up rather abruptly and Kyle stared at the phone in his hand.

He had to get down there. He stumbled out of bed, going to the shower, turning the water on hot, staring at himself in the mirror for a moment. Driving Riley to work.

He swallowed, taking his toothbrush and razor.

He was going to look good for her.

* * *

Riley was in a hurry, stressed because Evan was stressed. "I'm sorry, but I don't see how this is my fault," she panted, helping him with his collar,, having run all around the house in the past five minutes trying to find his correct tie.

"You had us go out on Saturday and I didn't take my car to be checked," Evan complained. "I don't see how you could let me forget."

"It was an exciting day," Riley said, biting her lip. "So did you call Lacey to drive me while I was in the shower?"

"I called Kyle," Evan said, grabbing his briefcase.

"What?" Riley wondered.

"It was easier, I haven't really talked to Dale lately and it just felt weird," Evan said. "He'll be here soon and you'll get there in plenty of time." He pressed a kiss to her cheek, distracted and not really paying attention to her, or the flush on her cheeks. "Thanks for lettin' me take your car."

"Yeah," Riley replied a bit dazedly, watching him leave, dashing down the walk.

He was gone in a moment and Riley stumbled back into a chair. She had to finish dressing; she didn't have her stockings or shoes on yet, and Kyle might be here soon.

But god. Why Kyle?

She bit her lip, remembering yesterday, standing up and hurrying upstairs. She was wearing a white sheath dress; she was hoping for a promotion at the country club and had started dressing smarter.

And besides, Evan wanted her to.

She knew that she'd be able to save a lot of money if he didn't insist on her never buying things on sale. Not even that leather jacket a few weeks ago. He would have looked so good in it.

She sat on the edge of her bed, rolling her sheer stockings up her legs, putting her small feet into black pumps.

Ready. She was ready.

She hurried down the stairs, stomach growling, and realized she hadn't had breakfast. And here was Kyle's car in the driveway.

He had a truck. Like Evan once had, before trucks were out in his mind.

Oh god.

Riley hurried outside, not waiting for him to get out, hoping that he wouldn't and he didn't, but he did lean over to open the passenger door for her.

"Hey, Riley," he said, looking...clean shaven. It was a good look on him, made him look younger.

"Good mornin'," she said, trying to get in, but her dress was too tight and the truck was too high and she'd always been short.

Oh god.

"Need a hand?" Kyle asked, a grin playing at his lips, one that seemed to mock her.

"No," she said, finally hitching her dress up to her thighs and jumping in.

She did not miss how his eyes shot there, caught by the now exposed expanse of bare leg over her thigh high stockings.

He stared at her, his gaze very slowly dragging to her face as she got in, settling herself on the seat, leaning to grab her seatbelt, feeling his gaze fall to her chest.

He must think she was an idiot. Too short to get in and too silly to figure out a better way. And too stubborn to ask him for help.

He was such a...man. She knew that he didn't want her to be married to Evan. He probably thought she was too much of a ditz.

* * *

**Oh, god, Kyle thought, as Riley proved him wrong; he'd been suddenly very excited for an opportunity to help her up but this...this was almost better.**

God, what legs she had. He couldn't erase the image of her thighs from his mind, toned and bare above her stockings. He wasn't sure how he was still driving, especially after she arched her back to grab her seatbelt and her chest was pushed forward, looking even more delectable than usual.

She had...the perfect figure. The tiniest waist. The most perfect breasts and ass.

Oh god.

Why had he said yes? This was terrifying.

She wasn't speaking, looking down at her bag, flustered.

He flustered her. He was the reason her cheeks were red right now.

How he'd like to take advantage of that.

Damn it, how he'd like to, and never would, take advantage of that.

"This exit," Riley muttered, pointing it out, and hue chuckled.

"I know," he said. "I've been here."

"Not for a while," she shrugged. "Why did you stop comin'?"

"I didn't feel like wastin' my money on the membership fees anymore," Kyle said. "Waste of time, waste of money, and I didn't like any of the people there anymore." He gave her a sideways glance. "Why are you workin' there?" He asked.

"It was the place that'd hire me," she said. "Easy job, flexible hours."

He nodded thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Didn't you get a degree in massage?" He asked, eyes glancing over to her. "Even plan on usin' that?"

"Well, yeah," Riley said. "A few years ago they were talkin' about having an in house masseuse but I didn't get it since it didn't pan out. Somethin' about too many regulations and too many massage studios around that'd offer it too."

Kyle met her eyes in the rearview mirror. "So why'd you stay?"

The question surprised her, he could tell. "Well, money. My own income so I didn't get in the way of Evan's grand quest for a million."

"How's that workin' for him?" Kyle asked, chuckling to himself. His brother was ambitious, that was for certain. Just why...he felt he had something to prove, as Kyle once had.

Then his knee had blown out and, granted, Kyle's life had been kind of aimless after that. But it was easy. He made enough to cover the bills. He let life happen to him. Sometimes...it was hard.

He thought of a bottle of pills at home, and licked his lips. Damn hard. But he was pulling through. He hadn't...he'd been clean for almost a week now, longer than he'd ever been before.

"Here we are," Riley said softly, and he nodded, putting the car into park. She started to open her door and he shook his head.

"Oh, no, I'm not havin' you jumpin' down from this rig and twisting your pretty little ankle," he said, jumping out and running around. "Just wait for me this time, Riley Parks."

She'd opened her door and was waiting for him, a stitch in her brow. "Fine," she said. "If you're gonna be stubborn."

"I am," Kyle said, taking her hand, but she was looking at him (why were her eyes so intent on his face?) and that distracted both of them; she tripped (those damn heels) and his hand slipped in hers and he lunged forward, hands going to her waist as the easiest place to grab.

God.

Oh my god.

She felt amazing. His hands spanned her ribcage and he could feel her every stilted inhale; his thumbs were right up by her breasts and they were rapidly expanding and contracting with every panicked breath.

He really did intimidate her. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing anymore.

He lifted, and god, she was light, and swung her down to the ground, placing her securely on the sidewalk.

He didn't want to pull his hands away. They stayed there for so long, probably only a minute but it felt like an eternity, his hands burning through her dress, caressing the firmness of her abs, and the soft silk of her dress.

"Let me know if you need a ride home, too," he said, clearing his throat and bringing his hands back to his sides. "I'm not workin' today."

"Okay," she said, wide eyed. "I will."


End file.
